Blimey. My first ever laptop was a ThinkPad, and my secondmost criticism of it was "what is that stupid rubbery blob doing in my keyboard". Each to their own. It's probably something to do with being A Southerner ;)
(My main criticism was to do with how the power adaptor fitted into the laptop; it was very prone to getting knocked, and ultimately came unstuck from the board inside. Hopefully they've fixed that.)
I recently paid £threefigure premium for the privilege of retaining that rubbery blob! :) I love not needing a mouse (one less thing to lose/break/have to replace, most mice are annoyingly noisy, and since I use my computer on the sofa there's nowhere sensible to put one anyway); given the things I use the laptop for, I would need a mouse if I did not have the blob.
Power lead on last-but-three went kerfizz-splink-blue flash! which was unexpected and spectacular, but other than that no actual problems with the design - oh, one got smashed by Act of Toddler in Texas, and was replaced by insurance, but otherwise each has been upgraded only when it became economically sensible to do so (smallclanger is now on his 3rd & 4th hand-me-downs, each parent having the same policy). Acquisition of the newest one was mostly because I wanted a system that could run Sims 3!
I like it too. The world is split into people who incompetently tap it like some kind of magic button going "I hate this mouse" and people who put their finger on it and point.
Yes! I think the first half think we do it by some kind of mind-control or something, given the weird looks I get when I'm using it sometimes. It's really very simple indeed, minimalist (I find it helps minimise RSI-type symptoms), and not at all scary, but to some it's like magic, apparently...
I don't like the Evil touchpad that has appeared below the keyboard on all new laptops, including the newer ThinkPads, but so long as I avoid accidentally resting my thumb on it I can cope.
I'm glad I'm not alone... I loathe touchpads, and when I had a company laptop with one which couldn't be disabled in the bios I resorted to sticking a sheet of plastic over it. I've had a series of Thinkpads of my own, largely because of the "blob" (and decent keyboard, and generally good build quality), though a couple of them developed screen failures.
I've just realised I could actually do that, thank you - not having had one before it actually didn't occur to me as something to go and do upon its arrival. (I've not had this machine very long at all, so it's not like I suffered with it for years. *g*)
Oh, I know how to work it - I just found it inconvenient, bad for RSI, and in all ways inferior to the nice touchpad they'd given me as well.
My work laptop (Dell) has one, and I don't believe I've ever touched it (except just now, to verify that I could instead still use it!)
Like I said to Bo-Peep earlier, each to their own :) I'm glad to hear that there are people who like the silly rubbery blob, it's always mystified me why laptop manufacturers still included them.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2010-01-14 04:32 pm (UTC)(My main criticism was to do with how the power adaptor fitted into the laptop; it was very prone to getting knocked, and ultimately came unstuck from the board inside. Hopefully they've fixed that.)
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Date: 2010-01-14 04:42 pm (UTC)Power lead on last-but-three went kerfizz-splink-blue flash! which was unexpected and spectacular, but other than that no actual problems with the design - oh, one got smashed by Act of Toddler in Texas, and was replaced by insurance, but otherwise each has been upgraded only when it became economically sensible to do so (
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Date: 2010-01-14 06:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-14 06:48 pm (UTC)I don't like the
Eviltouchpad that has appeared below the keyboard on all new laptops, including the newer ThinkPads, but so long as I avoid accidentally resting my thumb on it I can cope.no subject
Date: 2010-01-14 07:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-14 08:37 pm (UTC)I've had a series of Thinkpads of my own, largely because of the "blob" (and decent keyboard, and generally good build quality), though a couple of them developed screen failures.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-14 08:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-15 09:04 am (UTC)My work laptop (Dell) has one, and I don't believe I've ever touched it (except just now, to verify that I could instead still use it!)
Like I said to Bo-Peep earlier, each to their own :) I'm glad to hear that there are people who like the silly rubbery blob, it's always mystified me why laptop manufacturers still included them.